The work carried on by LIMBS International was initiated in 2004 by Dr. Roger Gonzalez and was originally known as LEGS (LeTourneau Engineering Global Solutions). The program began as a senior biomedical engineering design project at LeTourneau University, which challenged students to design and build a low-cost knee joint. The knee joint was intended to be part of an above-the-knee (AK) prosthesis that was durable, highly functional, and could be locally fabricated in developing countries. The final result of the students’ work was the first prototype of the LEGS M1 Knee, which is now known as the LIMBS Knee. The LIMBS prosthetic is derived from engineering research originally conducted at LeTourneau University located in Longview Texas.

In early 2011, LIMBS became an independent 501(c)3 Non-Profit organization and acquired the intellectual property and patent application related to the M1 knee from Letourneau University.  This change in organization was made in order to accommodate the need for dedicated full-time staff needed to handle the growing demand for the LIMBS Knee around the world, an endeavor which could not be handled solely by University resources and student projects. 

Since 2004, the LIMBS Knee has been deployed into six different developing countries and has been fitted on hundreds of amputees, with an average cost between $15-20 per knee. The LIMBS Knee is beneficial to both amputees and local clinicians in the developing world. It restores amputees' vitality by giving them a new opportunity at mobility and a renewed sense of self-worth as they contribute to society. For the local organizations that fit patients with the LIMBS Knee - it is a source of pride by knowing that they are directly contributing to improving the lives of their countrymen with a locally-produced prosthesis with a functioning knee joint.